Barrett, Charles, Farmer, Tai Tapu. Mr. Barrett was born at Haselbury, within two miles of Crewkerne and nine of Yeovil, in Somersetshire, England, in September, 1829, and was educated at Wimborne Minster, in Dorsetshire. Both his parents having died when he was only eight years old, he was, at the age of fifteen, sent out by his grandfather and uncles in the barque “Unicorn,” to Fremantle, Swan river, where he arrived in August, 1844, and went to join his elder brother, who held a small sheep run, thirty-six miles inland, northeast of Albany. At the end of seven years, the brothers removed to a 30,000-acre run, forty miles farther north-east, in Sandalwood Country, on the Salt river, where kangaroos and aboriginal natives were very numerous, page 671 and there they established a new station. After living there six years they sold the station to three brothers named Moore. Prior to that the Barretts had been joined by other brothers, one of whom kept a general store in Albany, and had the contract to supply the P. and O. Company's steamers from Sydney and Melbourne with meat, vegetables and fruit. This business was sold at the same time as the run, and in Albany the brothers chartered a schooner named “Valentine Helliker,” from Adelaide for Port Cooper, New Zealand. The four brothers, with the elder brother's family, sailed in May for Melbourne with a cargo of wool, which was transhipped on board the merchant ship “Red Jacket,” for England. While they were in Melbourne the schooner was loaded with drays, extra pairs of wheels, building material, farm implements, etc., also four horses, and sailed in July for New Zealand. After a rough passage they sighted Cape Farewell late in the afternoon, and whilst trying to get through Cook Strait the wind and currents drove the vessel on to a sandy beach two miles north of Kapiti Island. As there was a five-oared whaleboat on board, all the passengers were got safely on shore, and also the four horses. Two miles inland they found the Maori mission settlement at Otaki, to which the Maoris, under the advice of Archdeacon Hadfield, carted with their bullock drays luggage and cargo without payment. Two brothers, with their families, went on by road in drays, fifty miles, to Wellington, while the two single brothers remained six weeks at Otaki, to dispose of the bulk of the cargo. After reaching Canterbury the Barretts bought the run called “Reeds,” between Tai Tapu and Lansdowne from Mr. Stuart, manager of the Union Bank. It consisted of 6000 acres leasehold, with 340 acres of freehold. They also bought the corner section off St. Asaph and Madras Streets, Christchurch, from Mr. George Allen, and enlarged and finished “Barrett's Hotel,” in connection with which they conducted a carriers' business in the town and Ferry Road. Mr. John Barrett managed the hotel, while the other brothers lived on the run, though all had a share in the hotel, which was afterwards rebuilt by Mr. Schmidt and named the “New Zealander.” The run, being wet and swampy, was only fit for cattle at first, but after it had been fenced and drained crossbred or Lincoln sheep did well on it. After much working, the land also grew oats up to sixty and seventy bushels per acre, and on one occasion eighty bushels of wheat, and also heavy crops of grass and clover seed. Mr. C. Barrett now owns 200 acres freehold of the original run, and also sixty-three acres near Ladbrooks railway station. He has devoted himself to grain growing and sheep grazing, with some dairying of late years, and sends the milk to the Tai Tapu factory. The improvements consist in a twelve-roomed two-storey dwellinghouse, a granary built to hold 5000 bushels, two stables with four stalls each, trap and buggy sheds, cowshed with bails, garden, orchard and plantation. Mr. Barrett has served on the Tai Tapu school committee, and was for thirteen years clergyman's warden for the Church of England at Tai Tapu. In 1862 he married Miss Amelia Sherratt, youngest daughter of Mr. Thomas Sherratt, one of the first settlers in Albany, King George's Sound, and niece to Mr. John Sherratt, for twenty-eight years Superintendent of Richmond Park, London. Mr. Barrett has a family of six sons and seven daughters surviving.

Mr. C. Barrett.

Cossar, George, Farmer, “Invermay,” Tai Tapu. Mr. Cossar was born in Berwickshire, Scotland, at Greenknowe, which has been for the last 300 years in possession of the Cossars. He was educated at Dunbar, and brought up to commerce, in which he was engaged for four years in Scotland. Mr. Cossar emigrated to Queensland in 1862, in the ship “Flying Cloud,” and came to New Zealand in 1863. He worked for six years with the late Mr. G. Holmes, of Pigeon Bay, and then removed to Duvauchelle. Subsequently he bought land at Duvauchelle Bay, and gradually increased his area to 170 acres. At first the land was covered with bush, but it was gradually cleared and stocked, first with Shorthorn cattle of the milking strain, and he carried on dairying. In time he let the Duvauchelle property to his sons, and purchased “Invermay,” which comprises 264 acres with 100 acres on the lake flat. Mr. Cossar raises fat lambs extensively, as “Invermay” is well adapted for that purpose. In 1887, he went, by the s.s. “Doric,” on a visit to the Old Country, and after a two months' stay he returned by the “Arawa.” Mr. Cossar has been a member of the local school committee for over twenty years, and has been also on the cemetery board for many years. He was married, in 1864, to Miss Turkington, and they have seven sons and four daughters.

Mr. G. Cossar.

Gilmour, William, Farmer, Tai Tapu. Mr. Gilmour is a son of Mr. William Gilmour, an old colonist of Tai Tapu. He learned farming on his father's estate, but now farms a fine property of his own at Tai Tapu. Mr. Gilmour is elsewhere referred to as a lieutenant in the Canterbury Mounted Rifles.

Herrick, J. J., Farmer, “Hill View,” Tai Tapu Mr. Herrick was born at Islington, London, in 1831, and came to New Zealand with his parents, in the ship “Fifeshire,” which landed at Nelson on the 1st of February, 1842. In 1852 Mr. Herrick visited the Australian gold diggings, but returned to Nelson during the following year. He then followed farming until 1863, during which he came to Canterbury, and purchased one hundred acres of land at Tai Tapu in its native state for £3 an acre, and named the place “Meadowbank. The land was all heavy swamp, which was covered with flax, raupo and “nigger-heads,” and to take off the water Mr. Herrick cut a main drain 15 feet by 7 feet to the Halswell. When thus drained the land was stocked with Shorthorn cattle, and when it became dry and firm, it was cropped with the best results. In 1875, Mr. Herrick bought 100 acres at £20 per acre, from the late Mr. R. H. Rhodes, and on this he erected a good dwellinghouse, with substantial outbuildings and a stockyard, second to none in the district, and he also made a garden, and orchard, and plantations. This property is “Hill View,” where he has his home. Mr. Herrick rented an additional 180 acres later on, and all his farms are devoted to grain growing, dairying and fattening sheep for the export trade Mr. Herrick was the first storekeeper at Tai Tapu, and he ran the first coach that carried the first mails to the place. He has been a member of the Springston Road Board for eighteen years, and has been chairman for several years. Mr. Herrick also served on the Lincoln school committee for fifteen years, and was chairman for five years; he held a seat on the Tai Tapu Road Board and school committee for many years, was a director of the dairy factory for eight years, and a director of the New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association, Ltd., over ten years. He always takes a deep interest in church matters. Mr. Herrick was married, in 1858, to Miss Hammond, of Nelson, who also landed in Nelson, in 1842, and has eight sons and five daughters, seven of whom are married.

Mr. J. J. Herrick.

Limbrick, George Lawrence, Farmer and Butcher, “Westerleigh.” Tai Tapu. Mr. Limbrick is a son of Mr. Richard Limbrick, farmer, Gloucestershire, England, and was born in 1855. After arriving in New Zealand, he worked at the butchering business with Mr. Palmer, of Hororata, for a short time, and for eight months later was employed on the Waipara railway. He was then employed for twelve months by Mr. H. B. Lame, butcher, Cashel Street, Christchurch. Mr. Limbrick then removed to Tai Tapu, where he worked with Mr. Judge, who carried on a butcher's shop in connection with his hotel. After being two years in that position, he started an opposition business, but shortly afterwards purchased Mr. Judge's shop. Since then he has carried on a prosperous business, which extends from Tai Tapu to Gebbie's Valley. In addition to his butchery, Mr. Limbrick conducts a large dairying business on a fine farm of 126 acres of freehold land, which he owns in the neighbourhood, as well as a large tract of leasehold. He has for many years been a member of the Tai Tapu school committee. Mr. Limbrick married Miss Noye, and there is a family of two sons and four daughters.

Mr. G. L. Limbrick.

Macartney, Robert, Farmer, Tai Tapu. Mr. Macartney has for several years taken a prominent part in the local affairs of his district. He is now and has been for three years chairman of the Tai Tapu school committee, and is an active member of various debating societies in the neighbourhood. Mr. Macartney was educated under Mr. Speight, a well-known and successful teacher, at Tai Tapu. He married a daughter of Mr. Greig, builder and contractor, Christchurch. Mr. Macartney is referred to elsewhere as captain of the B Company of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles.

Morgan, Lumley, Farmer, “Parkgwyn,” Tai Tapu. Mr. Morgan was born in Wales in 1835, and followed farming during his earlier [gap — reason: illegible]. He left the Old Country for Australia, in the ship “Chariot of Fame,” and worked on the goldfields for two years. In 1861 he came to New Zealand, and after being in Otago he visited the West Coast goldfields, where he was very successful. He afterwards settled in Canterbury, where he took up the first sixty acres of his land in 1862. It was then all in its native state, and consisted of heavy swamp covered with flax and raupo. The improvements on Mr. Morgan's property included a two-storey dwellinghouse, with the necessary outbuildings, which are all clean and well kept; and the farm itself is well cultivated and subdivided into conveniently sized paddocks. Mr. Morgan has served on the local school committee. He was married, in 1870, to Miss Humphreys, and has two sons and one daughter.

Mr L. Morgan

Otahuna Estate, Tai Tapu. This is the property of Mr. R. H. Rhodes, M.H.R for Ellesmere. It comprises 5000 acres, was purchased in 1894, and is devoted chiefly to the rearing and fattening of sheep, of which large numbers are annually available for the export trade. The favourite breeds are English Leicesters and Shropshire Downs. A small herd of Jersey cattle is kept in the home paddocks, the originals of which were purchased from Mr. A. A. McMaster, of Oamaru, who imported them from Victoria. A still more distinguished herd consists in seven head of red Polled cattle recently imported by Mr. Rhodes. These aristocrats were bred by Lord Amherst and Mr. Coleman, the breeder of the famous red Polled steer of 1889. Lord Amherst and Mr. Coleman are amongst the largest prize-takers in England. The draught horses at “Otanuna” are a fine lot of animals, and were selected for their aptitude for hillside ploughing. The hunters on the estate included “Dragoon,” by “Chainshot,” and “Black Night,” by “Fusilier.” Mr. Rhodes has made many improvements on the property. The dwellinghouse is built on a knoll at the head of the valley, overlooking the Canterbury Plains, and commanding a fine view of the Southern Alps, and it will soon be well sheltered by a young, healthy and thriving plantation of well-selected trees. There are stables, a cowshed, and other outbuildings of the best kind at “Otahuna,” and these as well as the dwellinghouse are lighted with electric light. The garden, orchard, and all the plantations are young but healthy-looking, and in a few years the drive up the avenue and by an artificial lake will be most charming. The proprietor is reclaiming the swamp land on the property, and from what has been planted with potatoes he has obtained returns which have yielded £40 per acre.

Mr. Robert Heaton Rhodes, Proprietor of the Otahuna Estate, is referred to elsewhere as the member for Ellesmere in the House of Representatives, and also as captain of the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry.

Ridder, Frederick Henry, Farmer, Tai Tapu. Mr. Ridder was born in Hanover. Germany, in 1850, and came to New Zealand with his father by the ship “Blue Jacket.” For the first seven years after his arrival he was engaged in bush cutting on the Port Hills, and at other work. In 1877 Mr. Ridder started farming on about fifty-three acres of rich and fertile swamp land at Tai · Tapu, where he has successfully carried on general farming and dairying. He also works a leasehold farm of eighty acres. Mr. Ridder is a breeder of a superior class of draught and trotting horses, and owns a fine herd of dairy Shorthorns, crossed with the Jersey—a cross which he considers one of the best for quantity and quality of milk. He has been a member of the Tai Tapu school committee, and is a member of the Ellesmere and Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Associations, and of the Metropolitan Trotting Club. Mr. Ridder, who is at present lance-corporal in the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, has always taken a great interest in volunteering and shooting. He held the Challenge Belt for three successive years in the competitions of his corps, and won several first prizes in shooting competitions, held by the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, and at Rangiora rifle matches. Mr. Ridder married a daughter of the late Mr. John Gherkin, and old settler in the district, and has a family of three daughters and one son

Mr. F. H. Ridder,
Holder of Canterbury Mounted Rifles Challenge Belt for Three Years.